The Warriors’ situation with Jonathan Kuminga may be nearing its imminent conclusion, as reports have claimed that Kuminga is inclined to accept the qualifying offer to stay with the Warriors for one more season before becoming an unrestricted free agent next season.
The deadline for his deal is only weeks away as training camp nears for NBA teams, beginning on September 30. From potentially signing a $45 million two-year deal with the Warriors, where one year was a team option, Kuminga could now be betting on himself and taking a $7.9 million offer to stay with a coach (Steve Kerr) who no longer wants him.
Jeff Teague, the former NBA champion, spoke about this situation on the latest episode of the Club 520 podcast. He says Kuminga has found himself in a tough spot between a front office that wants him but a coaching staff that does not. And he has no one but himself to blame for it.
“This was all Kuminga’s fault. Cause when Jalen Johnson got that extension, and we all said it when they had Kuminga getting that same extension, and he turned it down and said he was Kawhi Leonard or whoever he said he was… You weren’t.”
“And I ain’t mad at him. Like bet on yourself or whatever you feel. You feel like you can be a max player or whatever, that’s cool. But you got to secure that bag.”
“We didn’t think he was a better player than Jalen Johnson, not one moment… I never believed it. So, when Jalen Johnson took that deal, he set the market. You kind of have to roll with it. Yeah. You know what I mean?”
“And when he turned down that deal, now he put himself in a bind a little bit because now you’ve got to be on a one-year deal with a team that already doesn’t really like you– Well, coach, I should say. The organization loves you, the coach doesn’t like you, and they’re going to pick: championship coach or iffy player. They’re gonna go with that coach every time with Steph Curry and them still being there.”
To be fair, Kuminga did demand the same money as Johnson ($30 million per year), but his performance did not justify the Warriors giving him that contract. Especially since he fell in the ranks of the team rotation after Jimmy Butler joined last season.
Kuminga averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists last season as a starter before Jimmy Butler was traded to the Warriors. Then his performance fell to 12.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. Hence, giving him $30 million per year did not make sense for the Warriors at the time, as these are role-player numbers.
The Warriors, as a result of this situation, have not finalized free agency moves that have reportedly been agreed upon with veteran players like Al Horford and Gary Payton II. Once Kuminga signs the qualifying offer, the Warriors can clear this logjam of free agency talent waiting to sign with them.
